Coast 2 Coast 4 Kalan... Uncut

Greetings from the Atlantic Coast!

It has been a long and exhausting journey, however it will all end tomorrow... Miami is only 50 miles away now. Throughout this trip we have tried to maintain a blog that was an interesting and enjoyable testament to our philanthropic bike trip. As stated earlier, we felt that such a difficult endeavor may emulate in some small way the difficulties that Kalan faced. Now that we are closing upon our endpoint, it has become clear that no trip could completely emulate the challenges that Kalan and his family faced last fall.

We consider ourselves fortunate for the help that we have had throughout this entire endeavor. We could not have been able to successfully cross the country by bike if it were not for all of the great people who have helped us along the way. However, after having spoken to a number of people back at the Willamette University campus, we have come to the conclusion that many people do not fully comprehend how difficult this trip has been. Although rewarding and amazing, this trip has been no pleasure cruise. This is probably in large part due to the fact that we have not discussed many of our difficulties. Below I will describe many of the challenges that we have experienced along the way, uncut...

Contrary to many who did not believe it was possible, we have ridden 21 days straight covering a distance of over 1600 miles. As a result of the long hours on the bike seat we have developed rashes from the chafing, saddle sores (pimple like infections), and one of us was even unfortunate enough to bruise a tailbone. We have ridden over mountains, through deserts, swamps, and now beaches. We have witnessed poverty at its worst in the U.S. (multiple spots), as well as excess wealth (Palm Beach, FL). We have been within a rocks throw of the Mexican border, and have stayed in towns with extremely high drug trafficking rates.

While on the road, we have been swerved at, accelerated at, honked at, yelled at, and cussed out by passing vehicles nearly every day. We have ridden through rain, snow, hail, lightning, and at one point, even a tornado touched down nearby. We have avoided pot holes, cracks, roadkill, and debris on bad roads. We have had a tail wind on three different occasions, every other day has been a cross or head wind. There have been long stretches of road where the next town is over 100 miles away, and have even had the pleasure of vultures flying above us.

When an affordable motel, or civilization for that matter, is nowhere to be found, we camp... After significant use, our tent now has mold on the interior of it and causes sinus problems in two out of the three guys. We have woken up to rain dripping on our face, and even ice inside the tent. If there is food nowhere to be found, we make due... Among the worst dinners we have had, one included chocolate milk and cup o' noodles. Another consisted of the three of us sharing a bowl of easy mac. This was the result of a gas station only accepting cash when the next town was 50 miles away and we only had $3.00 between the three of us. We have had a single home cooked meal in the past 45 days...thanks Sally Cunningham.

Furthermore, as a result of the hard use on the bikes, two bikes have had a small weld break rendering the rear brakes useless. One bike even has the front pouch duct taped to the handlebar. Our original rear rims were insufficient, and we have had to buy heavy duty reinforced rims to finish the trip. We have blown out two tires, and replaced an uncountable number of tubes.

Knowing what we have been through now, you may ask: would you do it again?

For Kalan, absolutely.

The Home Stretch

It has been a long time since our last post and for that we apologize. Computer access has been extremely limited lately and we have been riding at a fever pitch. We are deep inside Florida now and only days away from Miami! The reason for our increased pace is to ensure that Kevin can make it to a grad school preview weekend in Seattle at the University of Washington on March 2nd. As a result we have not taken a break day in over two weeks and are trying to average 100 miles per day for this final week. We plan to be in Miami either next Monday or Tuesday depending on the weather and fatigue.

Today we are in Cross City, FL. where we are using the local library's computers. Unfortunately, the computers do not have the proper connections for us to upload pictures so we will just have to wait to share those with you.

We have had a couple of adventures lately, but nothing too exciting. Unfortunately, Alex has not yet been able to find an alligator to wrestle with. On the other hand, it's probably a good thing since he has a hard enough time wrestling with me. This part of Florida is particularly well known for the large and diverse population of birds throughout the region. We have seen several hawks, eagles, cranes, etc.

Mullet in this part of the country is not only a hair cut and a lifestyle choice, but it is also a type of fish. In some of these lakes, we have seen dozens of these strange fish jumping up to 5 feet out of the water. Apparently, this is also a specialty meal down here as well.

We have also started to think about marketing this as a weight loss plan... It would go something like this:

"Tired of your weight? Want to eat anything you would like? Have you been taking diet pills and not seeing any results? Well, we have the solution... Try our coast 2 coast weight loss plan. All you have to do is ride 100 miles a day and you can eat whatever you would like, lose weight, gain muscle, and sculpt your physique! We guarantee it!"

Anyhow, we hope all is well. We will hopefully blog one last time before we get to Miami. 370 Miles to go...

Take care,

Kevin

Mississippi in recovery

We are in our third to last state and the sights have really changed. We got our first glimpse of the Atlantic today. The Gulf Coast is unlike anything I have ever seen. There are no waves and, because of the chilly weather, there were no people on the beaches. Even though it was pretty cold today (about 19 with the wind chill) we still took a break just to sit and take in the beautiful sight of the Gulf.

On the flip side of that beauty we have been shocked by the devastation left from Katrina. Everywhere we look are reminders that the nation's worst natural disaster happened just two years ago. Very little has actually been rebuilt but it is clear that work is underway. Some homes and businesses are rebuilt, and many more are under construction. Most of the rubble has been cleared, although there is still a considerable amount left everywhere. When we have access to a computer with the proper connections we will share some photos of the things we have seen. This has really been an eye opening experience that has made one thing very clear; its good to be a contractor on the Gulf Coast right now.

Tomorrow we will make it to Alabama and not soon after that we will be in Florida for the home stretch. Each day brings its trials but we are enjoying the challenge of overcoming them. For the past few days we have battled some tough winds and frigid temperatures, but it is supposed to warm up in a few days and hopefully the wind will be at our backs soon too. Thanks again to everyone who has helped us out along the way and to all of you praying us along. We really appreciate all your help. You are all wonderful people and we look forward to meeting many more.

Baton Rouge!!!

Greetings,

Today we had a record day, 110 miles! This was in large part because of a nice tail wind that resulted from the awful weather pattern that passed through the night before... As we stayed in our motel last night, a weather warning was released warning locals that there was a strong chance of rain, hail, thunder storms, and even tornadoes. This morning when we woke up, the weather had passed, but not without destroying a couple places in Louisiana. Anyhow, the bad weather is long gone, we are a day or two from Mississippi, and the weather is supposed to be beautiful.

We have been really happy with the friendly people in Louisiana. Everyone seems interested in what we are doing, and almost all of them try to give us cash on the spot. This says a lot for a part of the country that has gone through some really difficult times. Nevertheless, we have been really impressed by the people who we have met thus far, and look forward to meeting more.

We had an exceptional meal last night at Fausto's in Kender, LA. Everything tastes better after riding 90 miles, but I cannot even begin to describe how good this meal was... Best baked potato and fried chicken I have ever tasted. It's a good thing we are not staying in this state for long, the food is too good, and I would eventually gain too much weight.

We are now in Baton Rouge. Among the interesting places we saw along our journey today, we saw and crossed the Mississippi River, rode by the state capital, and are currently at the SAE on LSU's campus. This is not a campus, it is a city within Baton Rouge. Apparently there are 30,000 undergrads alone, 10 times larger than the city I grew up in. Well, I have stayed on the computer long enough (successfully helping an SAE procrastinate on his homework even longer), and should probably be on my way. We will continue on Highway 190 eastward and eventually connect up with highway 90 which will take us along the gulf coast.

Take care, and we will talk soon...

Kevin

Nothing like a little cajun...

Greetings,

Well, we successfully navigated through Houston by taking what is referred to as "farm road 1960." This "farm road" did happen to go near several farms, but quickly turned into the largest 9 lane "farm road" I had ever seen. I decided that this was not, and should not be referred to as a "farm road," this was in fact what I would call a "freeway." Houston is the 3rd largest city in the United states, and we rode 40 miles through it in just the suburbs alone... Interestingly, somewhere near Houston it seems as if we changed countries... All of a sudden trees began to grow, cacti (cactus for plural?) started to disappear, and we found ourselves in the "South." There have been several clues that have helped us realize this:

Before the South vs. The South
Desert vs. Swamp
Flash Flood Signs vs. Hurricane Evacuation Route Signs
Cactus vs. Trees
Ghost Towns vs. Churches
Taquerias vs. Fast Food Chains

The final realization that we were in the south occurred when I woke up to a live gospel sermon in our motel this morning, which I listened to and enjoyed as I checked my e-mail. The change in scenery is nice after having accomplished the last 1800 miles.

Currently, we are in Beaumont, TX. After navigating through Houston, we decided that instead of taking a full day off to let the legs heal, that we would feel better doing two easy days of 50 miles. This has allowed us to prepare ourselves for the next couple hundred mile stretch that will lead us to Baton Rouge, LA. We have about 1,100 miles to go until we reach Miami, and hope to be there, and back to the west coast by the first week in March. If things continue to go well, and we get some good wind, we will be on the beach before you know it...

Have a wonderful day, and we will post again shortly. Until then, Louisiana here we come...

Kevin

More from Texas!

Greetings,

Well, not a whole lot has happened recently that would be considered exciting. We have been riding along the old Highway 90 and will do our best to get around Houston today. However, several things have occurred to me while riding my bike through Texas. For example, the Texans have by far been the most courteous drivers. Often times they will slow down, change lanes, and do whatever is necessary to give us as much room as possible. We cannot tell you how much we appreciate this... Earlier in this trip (Southern California), we felt more like a target than an obstacle. It's been a nice change.

Additionally, because of the water towers, you always know where the next town is. Each city is usually small and equally spaced about 10 miles apart. This is nice compared to Western Texas where cities are up to 100 miles apart, and the nearest bike shop is 400 miles away.

Another cool thing about Texas are armadillos. I have already ranted and raved about road runners, but armadillos are pretty cool too. Unfortunately, the only time we have seen them is shortly after they have been struck by a vehicle. The armor plating of armadillos is unfortunately not strong enough to protect it from a high velocity Ford diesel truck...

One final observation for the day. Almost all animals hate us, especially dogs... Besides the cool cows in Western Texas (the ones that ran beside us), almost always do animals run away from us. The one exception, as earlier noted, are dogs. Generally they bark at us and chase us down the road. I cannot explain to you how many times dogs have nearly gotten us. I want to know why this is, do we look strange to them? Do we smell? Do we intimidate them? It is a mystery that is yet to be solved. We will continue to theorize the origin of dog's hatred for bicyclists...

Until then, take care. We will update you as soon as possible, hopefully from Louisiana!

Kevin

PS. Here are some pictures from the last couple of days...

In the picture with the Hondo roadsign, don't you think that Alex looks like a Village Person? I can just imagine head band singing YMCA right now...

San Antonio...

Hello,

After two days of riding, we have made the 150 mile ride from Del Rio to San Antonio. Along the way we have had the privilege of going through the small town of Hondo, TX. Interestingly enough, I believe Kalan's mothers maiden name is Hondo.

Along the way to San Antonio, we have come to the realization that the definition for a creek in Texas is somewhat vague... The rest of the world knows a creek as "a small stream, often a shallow or intermittent tributary to a river." In Texas however, we have seen approximately 40 different "creeks," and to us, they appear to be nothing but a dip in the landscape without water. Among the many "creeks" we have seen, one was even named "dry creek." I would like to propose that if the name of the creek has dry in it, then it should not be considered a creek. Nevertheless, we will continue to cross "creeks" with or without water and whatever else may stand in our path as we make our way towards Florida.

Now that we are in San Antonio, we will enjoy the downtown region and take a glance at the historic Alamo. We will surely post pictures as soon as we can... We have already rode our bikes by Trinity University. Good news for the Willamette Football team, we have a nicer football field than them. Bad news for the Willamette Football team, everything else is nicer. I talked briefly to the coach, and challenged them in a game. Regardless, they are still afraid (I'm totally full of it...).

Well, we will keep you up to date as we continue on. Hope all is well, and take care.

Kevin

Where to Start?

Greetings,

It seems as if it has has been forever since we have had the privilege of using a computer. Technology can be great, but free Internet can be few and far between.

When we last talked, we were near Interstate 10 in NW Texas. Since then, we have climbed over a 6,300 foot peak and made our descent to the border town of Del Rio at an elevation of approximately 1,000 feet. We have seen an Elk, several road runners, an armadillo, as well as a strange breed of pig that looks like a boar without tusks. The mountains throughout this region (which we didn't know existed) are beautiful, and are so isolated that they are famous for having the darkest night skies in all of the continental United States. Just south of where we rode, lies the point where the Rio Grande (AKA Rio Bravo) takes a 90 degree turn from SE to NE direction, a place known as Big Bend National Park. Although the terrain was unexpected, we were pleasantly surprised.

Throughout this ride we have had some amusing experiences. As we rode through the empty farming roads of Texas, it was not uncommon for the cows to run beside us for a couple of miles. Additionally, I would often chase roadrunners with my bike (they are fast, 20 MPH top speed). Two things however have been disappointing, 1.) Roadrunners don't make a beep beep noise and 2.) Willey Coyote is nowhere to be found.

We have also stayed in some interesting locations along our ride. We were fortunate enough to stay at a Motel called The Gage in Marathon, TX. If you feel like having a romantic rendezvous, come here. They have wonderful food, massage therapists on location, and antique rooms with original decorations and woodwork from the historical location. Furthermore, there is a beautiful view of the mountains, and Big Bend National Park is within an hour away.

On the exact opposite end of the spectrum, we camped in a ghost town named Dryden. This town had a population of 12, and primarily consisted of deteriorated buildings and mobile homes. We camped behind an abandoned school building that would provide us with a little shelter from the wind. If you are feeling romantic, I would not suggest this location.

After nearly 500 miles in 6 days of riding, we arrived at Del Rio. We were tired, and could not walk up a flight of stairs without feeling at least a slight tinge of burn in our thighs. We decided to take the weekend off, and have some friends from home join us as we relaxed, caught up on sleep, and watched the super bowl. It was a wonderful weekend that represented the approximate half way point of our endeavor. From our calculations, we are expecting to be home in the rainy and cold Northwest by the first of March. We will leave Del Rio early tomorrow traveling eastward on Highway 90 towards San Antonio, where we will take a moment to enjoy the historical Alamo.

I look forward to telling you more of the adventures that are surely to occur. Until then, take care, and we will keep on pedaling.

Kevin